[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 59 (Thursday, April 10, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E577-E578]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE ALARMING MORTALITY RATE OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN BREAST 
                       CANCER PATIENTS RESOLUTION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JANICE HAHN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 10, 2014

  Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, April has been designated Minority Health 
Awareness Month, and I want to shine a spotlight on a crucial minority 
women's healthcare issue--the alarming mortality rate of African-
American women from breast cancer. In the last few months, both the New 
York Times and Los Angeles Times featured articles about the disparity 
in mortality rates between African-American and white women with breast 
cancer.
  The New York Times wrote ``After her doctor told her two months ago 
that she had breast cancer, Debrah Reid, a 58-year-old dance teacher, 
drove straight to a funeral home. She began planning a burial with the 
funeral director and his wife, even requesting a pink coffin. . . `I 
was just going to sit down and die.' '' That is heartbreaking.
  Much progress has been made over the last two decades to increase 
awareness, screening, and treatment of breast cancer, but unfortunately 
this progress has not been made for all women. In the 1980s, the 
mortality rate for African-American and white women were nearly 
identical.
  Today, shockingly, African-American women are 40 percent more likely 
to die from breast cancer than white women. Much of this difference 
results from a lack of screening, access to life-saving treatments, and 
quality of treatment.
  Additionally, the higher difference in the death rate from breast 
cancer varies by region. In my city of Los Angeles, sadly, an African-
American woman with breast cancer is 70 percent more likely to die than 
a white woman. This is not true in other cities, such as New York, 
where the disparity is nominal. Clearly, this demonstrates that public 
health improvements can be made to improve the survival rates for 
African-American women.
  Therefore, I am introducing a resolution to highlight the high 
mortality rate for African-American women confronting breast cancer. My 
hope is that this resolution will bring awareness to this injustice to 
ensure that quality screening and treatment is available for all women, 
regardless of race. This is an issue of life and death and we must take 
every action available to ensure that every woman has access to the 
resources and treatment she needs to survive.

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